Old monkey island games before tales?

Hi everyone, i tried to search if this had already been asked, but this forums search gives me a headache >< so i browsed a bit and didnt see anything, anyway..

This is probably pretty obvious, but about how important is it to play the older monkey island games before playing tales?

I recently tried the tales demo and I really liked it and was thinking of buying it, but then i realized i should probably play the others first, so i just wanted to know if it was all that important, are they best played in order or do they each stand alone as their game/story?

Secret of MI and MI2 look fairly easy to get if so, but curse and escape look kind of expensive to get >< would skipping those two matter too much?

Comments

  • edited May 2011
    Well... in a nutshell:

    It helps to play the previous games just to get the gist of Monkey Island and some of the inside jokes that's thrown around in Tales, but you could probably play without playing the previous games. I recommend that you play the other games anyways just because they're fun and it's Monkey Island. Luckily there are the two special editions already out if you want to play the previous games.
  • edited May 2011
    Kinda what i figured, and i do want to play the old ones, its mostly just curse and escape that are a bit out of reach for me at the moment.
  • edited May 2011
    You could try Amazon or Ebay... I heard odd stories of people finding Escape and Curse there.
  • edited May 2011
    ooh, thank you, that worked. I had checked amazon before but the listing i found had them really expensive even for used ones, but i just checked again and there are other listings that are more in my price range :D
  • edited May 2011
    That's good to hear. :D
  • edited May 2011
    Yes, but the original 2 games are different than the second 2. Don't judge the entire series by the first two games. I enjoy all the games, my brother HATES 1 and 2 and didn't want to play the rest of the series but loved Tales and MI 3.


    He hasn't played the fourth game yet.
  • edited May 2011
    You will have the opportunity to see how characters develop over time and how the story can take very odd and awesome turns. It really is an unpredictable series.
    Have fun! :D

    Oh, and I recommend trying the special editions for 1 and 2. It will help you get used quicker with the characters and overall tone. :)
  • edited May 2011
    Special Editions are probably the way to go, unless you're a purist like me and desire to search original copies just for fun. I've played the original versions, I sought the out, but I don't have to play them specifically...
  • edited May 2011
    Play Escape first, it's the best one
  • edited May 2011
    thin029 wrote: »
    Play Escape first, it's the best one

    shut_up.jpg
  • edited May 2011
    thin029 wrote: »
    Play Escape first, it's the best one

    I got a ps2 memory card just to replay escape cos I missed it so much :D true story.
  • edited May 2011
    The only think I found annoying about Escape from Monkey Island, was the Monkey Combat. Apart from that, I loved it.
  • edited May 2011
    I think Curse's swordfighting is as annoying as Monkey Combat. Except the Monkey Combat ending was brilliant. By the way coolsome, where you here when Tales was released? I don't remember anyone not trying to kill me because of my love for Escape.
  • edited May 2011
    thin029 wrote: »
    I think Curse's swordfighting is as annoying as Monkey Combat. Except the Monkey Combat ending was brilliant. By the way coolsome, where you here when Tales was released? I don't remember anyone not trying to kill me because of my love for Escape.

    I was but I love Escape so I wouldn't have flamed you. Although I did not like Monkey Kombat and thats one of the things I don't like about the game but apart from that I rly enjoy playing it.
  • edited May 2011
    thin029 wrote: »
    I think Curse's swordfighting is as annoying as Monkey Combat.

    Really? In Monkey Combat, you have to take notes in order to proceed. In Curse's swordfighting, you just pick the insult that makes sense in context.
  • edited May 2011
    Yeah, but you gotta go back and upgrade the cannons everytime you win a battle. And there's the totally boring boat fight before every swordfight. And Monkey Combat actually has a meaning, you even beat the final boss with that. (kinda)
  • edited May 2011
    thin029 wrote: »
    Yeah, but you gotta go back and upgrade the cannons everytime you win a battle. And there's the totally boring boat fight before every swordfight. And Monkey Combat actually has a meaning, you even beat the final boss with that. (kinda)

    You can always cheat on the boat fight:P
  • edited May 2011
    thin029 wrote: »
    Yeah, but you gotta go back and upgrade the cannons everytime you win a battle. And there's the totally boring boat fight before every swordfight. And Monkey Combat actually has a meaning, you even beat the final boss with that. (kinda)

    You can use the cheat for the boat fights, or you can just use the wimpy cannons to beat everyone. I did that on my first run through, not realising I could buy new cannons or use a cheat, lol.
  • edited May 2011
    Yeah, I didn't like the boat fights either, and didn't realize that I could upgrade my cannons until I only had Rottingham left... The actual sword fighting was awesome, though.
  • edited May 2011
    Boat fighting was originally created for the first game (SoMI), but according to Tim Schafer, who created that element, it was just too awesome for a game like that. :P
  • edited May 2011
    Boat fights were funny. I can't think of anything about Curse that I don't actually like.
  • edited May 2011
    doodo! wrote: »
    Boat fights were funny. I can't think of anything about Curse that I don't actually like.

    Same! theres so many easter eggs in it as well.
  • edited May 2011
    1+2, in my opinion, are the best in the series. 3 is still great, 4(Escape) is the weakest entry. It wouldn't be nearly as painful if it weren't for the console-intended/inspired controls.

    You can tell it was developed primarily for PS2. Direct controlling Guybrush feels awkward, and the way you sort of "slide" when you go near an object is obnoxious, and can make getting the right context cue for an item difficult at times.

    Story-wise, puzzle-wise, it's fine (though a few are the sort that don't really have any logical explanation, and have to have a bit of guesswork, but they're all a bit guilty of that), it's just those controls that make it my least favorite.
  • edited May 2011
    doctoress wrote: »
    You can tell it was developed primarily for PS2.

    Yeah, kinda like how Grim Fandango was developed primarly for PS2.

    Oh wait...
  • edited May 2011
    StarEye wrote: »
    Yeah, kinda like how Grim Fandango was developed primarly for PS2.

    Oh wait...

    I think he's talking more about the segments which require precise control in EMI, like the lava pit, which arn't present in GF, or the fact that the keyboard short cuts suck, or the fact that the PS2 had a feature so it memorised the MK moves in game and as a result had an extra mini game and had more bonus features in general then the PC, or all of the above.

    EMI wasn't that much worse then the other MI's imo, if you take out the plot hole with Herman and improve the controls.
  • edited May 2011
    I found that interface awkward in Grim Fandango too, on the PC anyway. It's my only real complaint about GF.
  • edited May 2011
    Grojak wrote: »
    I think he's talking more about the segments which require precise control in EMI, like the lava pit, which arn't present in GF, or the fact that the keyboard short cuts suck, or the fact that the PS2 had a feature so it memorised the MK moves in game and as a result had an extra mini game and had more bonus features in general then the PC, or all of the above.

    EMI wasn't that much worse then the other MI's imo, if you take out the plot hole with Herman and improve the controls.

    This would imply that the game was primarly developed for the PC, then IMPROVED for the PS2. If it was primarly developed for the PS2, then it would not have improvements. And there's a lot of elements you seem to have forgotten in GF.

    About the game, though, I don't 100% agree. It's a good game, but there were plenty of parts that I didn't like at all, and that was not because of the story. The whole second half of the game wasn't particularly good, imo. Melee and Lucre were good, mostly, but the rest was just not quite up to LucasArts (tm) par.
  • edited May 2011
    if anyone is having trouble getting hold of 1 & 2 and have an xbox you can download the games remastered on xbox live - yay!
  • edited May 2011
    The special editions are available for PC as well, so I don't see how anyone would have trouble getting hold of the digital versions of them.
  • edited May 2011
    The special editions are on Steam (PC), Xbox 360, PS3, IPod, IPhone and IPad. Pretty much the only thing you can't get them on is the Wii (as far as I know).
  • edited May 2011
    I am not found of those games that have stages to cover..
    I like to play street fighters and taken three.. I am good player of the street fighter game..
    I challenge to all forum members.
  • edited May 2011
    Shermann wrote: »
    I am not found of those games that have stages to cover..
    I like to play street fighters and taken three.. I am good player of the street fighter game..
    I challenge to all forum members.

    You came to challenge people to a fighting game on a Monkey Island thread!?
  • edited February 2012
    Monkey Island 2 is my personal favorite, but Curse Of Monkey Island is very good too. You should definitely play those too, as they are great games.
  • edited February 2012
    I seem to recall during my recent playthrough of Escape, that I found Monkey Island's portion of the game to feel .. I dunno, off, somehow. Like the puzzles and such didn't feel as natural or as flowing as the ones earlier in the game had. The rock-throwing puzzle, in particular, really grated my nerves as it was far too easy for me to blink at the wrong time and mess up. I can't keep time in my head, so I couldn't like.. wait 2 seconds, blink, and then be ready to spot when I need to chuck the next rock.

    As for Monkey Kombat.. I seriously feel that Escape was intended to be played on the PS2, because that whole section just felt at home with the controller and you had that "cheat sheet" which recorded the moves and such. I agree the stuff with Herman felt a bit like a deus ex machina, but then so did his having a ship in MI1. If anything, it really didn't surprise me in MI4.

    EDIT: On the topic of whether to play MI 1 and 2 in the original version, or the Special Edition version.. I have been playing games for a good 30 years now (or just about), and I say there's nothing wrong with playing the SE versions over the old versions. They're very faithful to the original ones but with updated graphics (instead of being all new games, like you'd get with a remake). Plus they have voice acting, which helps with the immersion, and you can always switch back to the old timey style in the middle of playing. At least you could on the Xbox 360 versions I have. :p

    In fact, I had fun playing through them twice; one with the enhanced graphics, one without. It's just a shame that MI1 SE didn't allow for the voices to remain when you switched back to the traditional graphics.
  • edited February 2012
    The original MI1 that came with the SE wasn't really the best version anyway, you're much better off playing the VGA version that came later. I feel it's because they wanted the new one to look so much better that they didn't put the optimal version of the original game.

    Personally, I still prefer the originals, if you can play the best versions. I think he artwork and character design in MI1 SE is well below par for a LucasArts game, and although MI2 SE was better, the IMUSE system just doesn't work as well. Also, and this is a problem with most modern adventure games, having voice-over puts the music in the background and acts as ambience rather than the main mood-setter. MI2SE is mixed in such a way that it's hard to enjoy the soundtrack now.

    Because of this, I find a lot of modern soundtrack to be not quite as good as it was back in the days when it was your main source of distraction from the otherwise silent game. This goes for most genres.
  • edited February 2012
    StarEye wrote: »
    This would imply that the game was primarly developed for the PC, then IMPROVED for the PS2. If it was primarly developed for the PS2, then it would not have improvements. And there's a lot of elements you seem to have forgotten in GF.

    About the game, though, I don't 100% agree. It's a good game, but there were plenty of parts that I didn't like at all, and that was not because of the story. The whole second half of the game wasn't particularly good, imo. Melee and Lucre were good, mostly, but the rest was just not quite up to LucasArts (tm) par.

    I never said the game WAS developed for the PS2 first, lol. I was just saying that the PS2 version did have a lot of features that were better then the PC version. Though the PC version had better loading times (as you'd expect) and better camera angles (there were more). I personally prefer MI on the PC, as that's what it's meant for, but...

    Yes, but once again, it was a good game. When you say it's not up to LucasArts (old) standards to do 100% agree, but you have to remember the games LA were pumping out were AMAZING, not just good. I'm not saying EMI was good enough, it was a MI game after all and it should have been better, but I'm saying from the PoV of a non-MI fan prior to playing EMI it's a good game.

    I guess it doesn't make much sense, but you might be able to understand what I'm trying to say, lol. I'm really bad at explaining things.
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